John Stevenson's 2007 MDS campaign

In a fit of madness I
decided it would be a great idea to enter the 2007
Marathon des Sables, the delightful 150 mile+ foot race
across the Sahara Desert that makes grown men cry. Why
did I do this? It’s difficult to say really, I’m not
sure there is a good reason; I’d heard of the MDS many
years ago and had always thought ‘one day’. The race came
up in conversation with my wife a few years ago and she
said why not now? Why not indeed? I applied two years ago
for this year’s race and gave up smoking immediately, the
first stage of training!
Two years on, having completed the
event now, it doesn’t seem overly remarkable from this
side of the fence. It was an amazing experience,
certainly tough, but eminently achievable to anybody who
is up for a challenge. Like anything else, you don’t
start out running a double marathon with a rucksack, but
by jogging around the block like everybody else, the
training just picks up gradually. I’m no athlete, just an
ordinary person who wanted to try something different. I
was also lucky and didn’t suffer from any blister
problems, the cause of so much pain and misery to many
participants. It is the relentless nature of the MDS that
makes it such a bitter sweet event, having to get up each
day and run again after the prior day’s onslaught, all on
the fairly meagre rations you carry for the week. The
scenery and backdrop to the event is spectacular. Thrown
together into the melting pot with around 750 other
competitors, six of whom I shared a tent with, it is a
fairly intense experience. Having avoided major foot
problems, my pain has already faded away into a warm
memory. Would I go back and do it again? I could be
packed and ready to go within the hour!

This was about meeting a life ambition for me. In doing
so, it seemed an ideal opportunity to raise money for the
Rainbow Trust. I first came across the Rainbow Trust in
2002 when I was looking to run the London Marathon. There
seem to be so many worthy causes; yet having two young,
healthy children, the Rainbow Trust seemed to resonate
and hit a nerve. At that time I couldn’t get a place with
the Rainbow Trust, but resolved to raise money next time
I had a big event. Five years on, and here we are, the
mother of all events!! I funded the race myself, every
penny raised has gone to the Rainbow Trust, over £10,000
so far, although I shall endeavour towring outas much as possible with my photos
and tales of glory.

The next challenge? I'm looking to complete an Ironman
Triathlon in 2010, but that's another story......www.ironmanchallenge.co.uk